Winter in Wisconsin can be a difficult place to ride your bike unless you find comfort in frozen roads, icy winds and vast rolling landscapes of dormant wheat and corn fields like I do. Slowing down in winter follows the way of nature and I’m happy to oblige. Go slow that is. I have a few friends that will brave the elements with me but many rides are made in solitude.
As I was taking these photos of the painting process during the day I realized how painting is a lot like a difficult ride. By that I mean the artist is the only one that experiences all the emotions of creating during the act. Like only the rider can completely experience the ride. As the viewer all you get is the end result of the painting. Like it. Dislike it. Move on. You miss all the fun of riding the emotional roller coaster. And that emotional range goes from fear, elation, anxiety, bold confidence and complete disappointment. Much like a challenging ride.
Shared experience. Shared emotions.
So in this way it’s a lot like a difficult bike ride. I can tell you how hard it was, how I was excited or nervous but unless you experience it for yourself you don’t feel it the same way. I think that’s why us cycling fans stick together, it’s the shared experience of emotions that keep us connected no matter what you ride, or your level of expertise. The shared emotional relationship we have with each other is as wide as the planet and knows no limits. I really like that about cycling.
This painting is my first large canvas in my Winter Ride Series of paintings. And to be honest it was scary at the start. I’ve completed nine small studies and now I’m scaling up trying to better capture the expanse of the world I love cycling in, Wisconsin.
This painting is 84×48 inches on stretched canvas. The canvas will roll for shipping, some simple assembly is required to display. If you have any questions about this work please contact me. Click the link to see the painting details.
Wisconsin Winter, Milton | Original Cycling Art | 84×48 inches | Stretched Canvas | Acrylic painting
